Centrifugal bowl for separating heavy sludge and solids from lighter liquids



Dec. 3, 1935. G. J. STREZYNSKI 2,022,817

L BOWL FOR SEP ARATING HEA SLUDGE CENTRIFUGA AND SOLIDS FROM LIGHTER LIQU Filed D80. 29, 1933 n l/wfss: v

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I.IUNITEDSTATES-PATENTYOFFICE' FOR SEPABATING HEAVY SLUDGE AND SOLIDS FROM LIGHTER LIQUIDS George I. StrezynskL Poughkeepsie, N. Y., as'- signer to The De Laval Separator Comp New York, N, Y., a corporation of New Jersey 7 Application December 29, 1933, Serial No. 704,482

. 13 Claims. (01. 233-46) My invention is an: improvement in bowls for near side hi the center, and Figure 2 is a detail separating heavy sludges or solids from lighter to a larger scale or the control valve.

- liquids and discharging them through openings (1. is a bowLshell having a top b and containin the bowl wall. ing a tubular shaft a nest of separating discs The object of my invention is to provide, in a d, a top disc e, and a member f enclosing a bowl with outlets at its maximum diameter for chambery. The bowl issupported and driven the escape or heavy sludge or slimy Solids, by a spindle in revolving in a bearing 1. The

simple and reliable means, which may be either liquid to be treated enters through a feed tube a, automatic or under the control of the operator, the light liquid escapes at k, the heavy liquid 1 for opening and for closing such' outlets. at a: and the still heavier sludge, etc. at m. A

' In an application filed by me September 27, tube n, passing through the feed tube a dis- 1933, Serial No. 691,111, I disclose a structure charges into the chamber 9 and has around its effectively accomplishing the above objects. It lower portion a deflector 0 to prevent liquid from c mprises a centrifugal bowl provided with an feed tubej entering the-chamber g.

1 outlet through it's peripheral wall, a hollow At the inner end of the port m there is a valve liquid-containing valve body contained in a tubuseat p against which the conical end of a valve 1' uide chamber communicating with the sepq fits to close the port. On the valve there are arating chamber of the bowl, and floatable ba k lugs 1'- which centralize it in a radially located 20 and forth in radial direction in the liquid env tube s which surrounds, protects and guides it er g said chamber. 'In.its outer position the and which has its inner end, nearer to the center valve, which'itself is provided with a restricted of the bowl than the outlet k for light liquid so escape orifice at its tip through which liquid that liquid will not escape from the inner end continually escapes through said bowl wall out-, 1 of tubes. Through the apex of the valve there let, seats against said outlet. When the valve is an orifice t throttled by a screw it and at the 25 moves inward, said outlet is opened to permit the other e d there S a p 0 Which e Over the escape c l t d udge. The valve moves end oi. the tube s. A tube 10, leading from the utward when it is more 'or'less filled with liquid chamber a. discharges into the valve and moves inward when it is more or less emptied In operation, liquid to betreated is fed through dof liquid.- The valve may receive liquid from tube a into the tubular shaft through which it the separating space of the bowl until sludge has flows to the'inter disc spaces in the bowl, where 0 accumulated on the peripheral wall of the how] it is separated into three components. The light to a predetermined depth, in which case the liquid flows toward the center and escapes at k. operation is automatic; or it may receive a special The heavy liquid flows toward the outside, around control or supplemental liquid whose inflow is the edge' e D disc and then inward t0 t 35 through a special feed tube controlled externally outlet at, where it escapes. Sludge, heavier than of the bowl. The first operation is open to the either of the liquids, collects against the bowl objection that there is a continuous loss, through wall. At. the same time a continuous flow of 7 said restricted orifice, of light liquid which is water or other operatingliquid is fed through 0 often valuable. The second operation avoids this u chamber '1' d tube i the valve at objection, but is open tothe objection that any a rate a little faster than the leakage through excess of the control liquid over that which can the throttled orifice t. The excess escapes at escape through said restricted orifice, overflows ethe D a d can be caug t'a d condu a ythe inner end of thevalve body and mixes with )When he desires to have the ports m open, the

and contaminates the liquid being treated. operator shuts off the flow of valve-control quid, 45 I The present invention involves the use of a t in e Valve l aks Out t rough t e 0 1110813;

' supplemental liquid for controlling the position and, after the escape of a predetermined quantity or the valve and includes means whereby the ofsuch liquid through said orifice, the valve operator can control the opening and closing or floats toward the center, leaving the port m the valve without either loss or contamination oi. open. When the sludge has been discharged the 59 the valuable liquid which is being treated or operator turns on. a heavy flow of control liquid separated in the centrifuge. to fill the body and close the valve and then re- I tn accompanying drawing, whi h illu tr t du'cesit to a little more than needed to keep an embodiment of my invention, Figure 'l is a it full; H I

cross section of one or the bowlsa little to the If the mixture ofa little water with the sludge .55

is objectionable it will generally be possible to select a control liquid that will not be objectionable.

From theforegoing it may be seen that I have provided a means, including the use of a supplemental liquid, for controlling valves for ports in a bowl wall that does not involve any loss of valuable liquid or any contamination of valuable liquid by the supplemental valve operating liquid.

The flow of liquid for operating the valve may be controlled by hand or by an automatic timing device to give definite open and closed periods for the valve.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a centrifugal bowl having an outlet relatively near its axis for escape of a lighter component and a port through its wall for escape of a heavier component, of portclosing means including a buoyant valve member extending nearer to the bowl axis than the bowl outlet for a lighter component and having from its inner end an overflow passage leading outside the bowl and from its outer end a restricted orifice leading to the port, and means controllable exteriorly of the bowl to intermittently flow liquid into said valve.

2. The combination with a centrifugal bowl having an outlet for liquid and a port through its wall, a valve seat at the inner end of the port and a tubular member, coaxial with said port, communicating with the interior of the bowl and extending radially to a point. nearer the axis than the outlet for liquid, of a valve mernber, within, protected and guided by said tubular member, having a conical end adapted to fit said seat and .close the port and having anorifice therethrough and a hollow body extending nearer to the axis than said outlet for liquid and having a discharge lip overhanging the inner end of the guiding member, and means controllable exterior of the bowl to intermittently flow liquid into said valve body.

3. In a centrifugal bowl provided with an outlet through its peripheral wall, a hollowfloating valve member movable outward to close said outlet when weighted with a predetermined amount of contained liquid and provided with an escape orifice at its outer end through which said liquid may continually escape, means providing a passage through which liquid may be fed from outside of the bowl direct to said valve member at a rate in excess of the rate of outflow through said escape orifice, and means for overflow of excess liquid from the inner end portion of said valve member to outside the bowl, said valve member being fioatable inwardto open said bowl wall outlet, after the feed of saidliquid to said valve member is arrested, by reason of the continued escape of liquid through said valve orifice.

4. In acentrifugal bowl provided with an outlet through its peripheral wall and with an outlet relatively near .the axis of the bowl for outflow of lighter separated liquid, a chamber communicating with the. separating space of the bowl, a hollow valve member floatable in said chamber in liquid received in said chamber from the separating space of the bowl and adapted when moved outward toclose said outlet and so movable outward when weighted with a predetermined amount of contained supplemental liquid and provided with an escape orifice at its outer end through which such contained liquid may continually escape, the inner end of said valve member being nearer the center of the bowl than said outlet for lighter liquid, means controllable externally of the bowl to feed supplemental liquid to said valve member, and means providing for overflow to outside ofthe bowl of supplemental liquid from the inner end portion of the 5 valve member; whereby when supplemental liquid is fed into the bowl in excess of its rate of escape from said orifice the valve member will be held in position to maintain said bowl wall outlet closed and whereby when the feed of supl0 plemental liquid is arrested the escape or same through said orifice will cause the valve member to lighten and. float inward and open said bowl wall outlet.

5. In a centrifugal bowl provided with an outlet extending from and communicating with the peripheral space of the bowl, a hollow member comprising a valve and positioned. between said peripheral outlet and the axis of the bowl, said member being movable outward to seat the valve and close communication between the peripheral part of the bowl and said outlet and movable inward to unseat the valve and open said communication, and a liquid admission conduit extending from outside the bowl and communicat- 25,

from said hollow member, whereby, by varying the weight of its contained liquid, said valve is caused to move into and out of position to close said outlet.

6. In a centrifugal bowl having a port through its wall, the combination of a chamber positioned between said port and the axis of the bowl and in communication with, and adapted to receive liquid from, the separating space of the bowl,

a hollow buoyant valve within said chamber and fioatable in the liquid contained therein to open 40, and close said port, and a liquid-admission conduit extending from outside the bowl and communicating, independent of the separating "space of the bowl, with the interior of said valve and through which liquid may be supplied to said 45,

hollow valve, and means allowing discharge of liquid from said hollow valve, whereby, by thus varying the weight of its contained liquid, said. valve is causedto float toward and from portclosing position. 7. In a centrifugal bowl having a port through its wall, the combination tioned between said port and the axis, of the bowl and in communication with, and adapted to receive liquid from, the separating space of the 55,

bowl, a hollow buoyant valve within said chamber and fioatable in'the liquid contained therein to open and close said port, and aliquid-admission conduit extending from outside the bowl and communicating, independent of the separating space of the bowl, with the interior of said valve and" through which liquid may be supplied ,to

"said hollow valve, means allowing discharge of liquid from said hollow valve, whereby, by thus varying the weight of its contained liquid, said hollow buoyant valve within said chamber and of a chamber posi-' floatable in the liquid contained therein to open and close said port, and a liquid-admission conduit extending from outside the bowl and communicating, independent of the separating space of the bowl, with the interior of said valve and through which liquid may be supplied to said hollow valve, means at the outer end of the valve allowing discharge of liquid from said hollow yalve, whereby; by thus varying the weight of its contained liquid, said valve is caused to float toward and from port-closing position, and means preventing flow of liquid to or from the inner end 01 the valve to or from the separating space of the bowl.

'9. In a centrifugal bowl having a port through its wall, the combination of a chamber positioned between said port and the axis of the bowl and in communication with, and adapted to receive liquid from, the separating space of the bowl, a hollow bouvant valve within said chamber and floatable in the liquid contained therein to open and close said port, and aliquid-admission conduit extending from outside the bowl and comoutlet, guiding means for said hollow member, therebeingthrough saidvalvearestrictedportzfi municating, independent of the separating space of the bowl, with the interior of said valve arid through which liquid may be supplied to, said hollow valve, means allowing discharge of liquid from the outer end of said hollow valve, whereby, by thus varying the weight of its contained liquid, said valve is caused to float toward and from port-closing position, and means to discharge liquid overflowing from the inner end of a fllled valve and preventingthe flow of such discharged liquid to the separating space of the bowl.

10. In a centrifugal bowl providedwith an outlet extending outwardly !rom and conummicating with the peripheral space of the bowl, a hollow floating member between said peripheral outlet and the axis of the bowl and having in the end thereof nearest said axis a fluid admission opening, said member being movable radially outward to close said outlet when weighted with a predetermined amount of contained liquid, means to feed supplementary liquid to the inside of said hollow member to cause it, by reason of its thereby increased weight, to assume said outlet-closing position, and means allowing escape of said supplementary liquid when in said outlet-closing position, whereby, when inflow of supplementary liquid is arrested, said member will be lightened sumciently to" float inward and open'said outlet.

\ 11. In a centrifugal bowl provided with an out- 7 let extending outwardly from and communicat- ,ing with the space of the bowl, a hollow floating member between said peripheral outletandtheaxisoithebowlandhavinginthe end nearest said axis a fluid receiving opening,

said member being movable radially outward to 5 2 inward to open said outlet.

12. In a centrifugal bowl provided with an outlet extending outwardly from and communicating with the peripheral space of the bowl, a valve seat at the inner end of said outlet, a radially 20 floating hollow member comprising at its outer end a valve adapted, when said hollowmember moves outward, to be seated and thus close said adapted to meet saidoutlet when the valve is seated, and means providing a passage for supplementary liquid into said hollow member, whereby said hollow member may be moved outwardtoseatthevalve by admittingliquid there- 30 intoandmaybecausedtofloatinwardafter shutting ofl the upply of supplementary liquid, by outflow of supplementary liquid therefrom through said port and outlet.

13. In a centrifugal bowl provided with one or 85 more outlets for relatively light liquid and a paripheral outlet for sludge or heavy solids,a hollow member having a rear opening for receipt of liquid, said openingbeingcloserto the bowl axis than any liquid outlet, said member being so guidedthat itis adapted-whenfilledwithapredetermined weight of liquid to float outward and close said outlet and adapted to float inward and 0pm said peripheral outlet upon reductlon of weight due toescape of liquid, means allowing such s ap of liquid while said member isholding theperipheral outlet closed, and means toflowliquidiromasourceexteriortothe bowl arolmdtheseparatirgspaceofthebowltosaid memberafteritfloatsintoposifiontoopenthego 

